Experiencing Iftar inside a mosque can be a revelation for many people especially for the non-Muslims. Every religion has some unique elements, which are revered by their respective followers whereas mystifies those from other religions. An opportunity to gain an insider perspective through an outsider's eyes often helps in developing the much-needed bridges between of trust and mutual respect between followers of different religions.
Towards this goal, and to witness how Ramadan and Iftar appear from the eyes of an outsider, The Indian Weekender dropped in at a Masjid in Mangere, Auckland, during a small Iftar party organised by a community member.
It is 4:30 in the afternoon and the streets of Sandringham and Stoddard Road get busy. Grocery stores and supermarkets are thronged by busy shoppers to buying fresh fruits, dates, snacks and missing items needed to prepare the Iftar.
It’s the last week of Ramadan 2017 and the holy month has passed by with a number of Iftar parties organised by different charity organisations, community organisations, mosques, parliament and even a church in Auckland. The Muslim community has adjusted their working hours to make sure they can devote more time to their families and spend quality time praying and remembering Allah.
At 4:30, members of the Masjid and the Iftar organising team at the Maunatul Islam Centre on Thomas Road in Mangere gets busy making food boxes for the visitors. A separate arrangement in a different room is also done for the women to open their fast.
The Adhaan is due for 5:16 p.m. (precisely) and the Imam (cleric of the Masjid) starts chanting verses from the Holy Quran and the visitors at the mosque follow. In a short while, he raises his hands in du’a asking for forgiveness and blessings for the mass Iftar from Allah (swt).
While the du'a is recited in the Arabic language, the volunteers distribute the food packets to the visitors inside the Masjid.
It is the time for Adhaan and a very young boy, approximately of the age of 14 wearing a skull cap, places his two fingers in both his ears in front of the standing microphone facing the Qibla (direction in which Namaz is made) and calls ‘Allah-u-Akbar-Allah-u-Akbar’ twice. This translates into ‘God is the Greatest’, and it is followed by another six calls with different meanings each praising Allah and asking the believers to come to the mosque and towards success.
With the first call of Adhaan, the visitors recite the du'a to open their fast and take a bite of a date and a sip of water.
The visitors open their fast with a box of fruit, some fried Indian snacks and a glass of juice. In the next 10 minutes, the Masjid floor is cleared of the food boxes, and everyone present inside assembles for the Maghrib Namaz. The Mu’ajjim (second to cleric) makes the Takbir and the people fall in the line beside each other behind the Imam facing the Qibla.
The Imam delivers the three-part obligatory Namaz followed by a du’a and then a supplementary 2-part Namaz is prayed individually.
Once the Namaz is over, the floor gets ready for dinner, and the rich traditional dishes of the community are served to the visitors, concluding the Iftar party.
The significance of Iftar is huge, and it is advised in the Hadith people to open their fast with their families and friends and invite both Muslims and non-Muslims to the Iftar table as it has great rewards.
This year the month of Ramadan started on Sunday, May 28 and depending on the sighting of the moon, it will be concluded with the celebration of Eid-ul-Fitr, which falls either on Monday, 26 or Tuesday, 27 June.
Almost all the Masjids will host the special Eid prayers at the Masjid premises or at a bigger community hall to accommodate the attendees. This feast will continue for three days including the day of Eid where families, friends and community members invite and gift one another to celebrate the biggest festival of the Muslim community.
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